Valve for automatic sprinklers.



Patented Dec. l6, I902.

I o. HOFFMAN-N. VALVE FOR AUTOMATIG SPRINKLEBS.

(Application filed July 8. 1902.)

(no Model.)

JIET- wrrNEssEs.

l N v E N TOR (9th) fmanm UNITE STATES ArnNr FFICE.

OTTO HOFFMANN, OF W'ITHINGTON, NEAR MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS.

srncrrrcarlolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,039, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed July 8. 1902. Serial No. 115,918. (No model.)

T0 all iuhmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO I-IOFFMANN, engineer, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at West View, 18 Wellington road, Withington, near Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Automatic Fire- Extinguishers, (for which I have made application in Great Britain, No. 25,441, and dated December 13,1901,) of which the following is a specification.

My said invention has reference to automatic fire-extinguishers of the kind known as sprinklers, which are attached to a waterservice pipe and provided with an outlet or orifice normally closed by a valve held to its seat by a fusible strut or system of levers, the

valve being freed on the failure of the strut due to the melting of the fusible alloy, as is well understood. It is to the valves of such sprinklers that my invention relates. These valves playa most important part in all sprinklers. Upon the suitability of the material from which such valves are made the merit and efficiency of a sprinkler largely depend. In order that a sprinkler shall be practically efiective, it is necessary, in the first place, to provide the same with a Valve capable of permanently resisting corrosion. This is a most important point when it is borne in mind that such sprinklers are exposed throughout lengthened periods in unfavorable situations to the deleterious action of gases and vapors. The valve should preferably be a bad conductor of heat, be light in weight, very hard, and capable of receiving a smooth polish. It must not crack under the influence of heat nor must it deteriorate in its nature or suitability under atmospheric influences. In addition to this it is necessary that the valve shall resist the action of acid fumes and be unaffected at the point of contact with its seat by the water or fluid in the supply-pipe. On the failure of the levers or supporting device the sprinkler must be rid of the valve immediately, any sticking or adhesion of this member retarding the action of the sprinkler and so militating against its efliciency. Many metals, alloys, substances, or materials, natural and artificial, non-conductors of heat and otherwise, have been tried with more or less success; but each has failed to combine that .posure.

perfect suitability which the subject of my invention presents.

According to my invention I propose to make the valves of sprinklers from what is commonly known as jet and sometimes as Whitby jet or other suitable equivalent jet, whether found in a natural state or pro- .duced by artificial means from suitable substances. This jet is known in Germany as gagatW Jet is also found in and known in many countries under various names.

The material specified under my invention as jet may be described as a bituminous mineral or carboniferous fossil of a coaly nature, very hard, but very light, of a deep black color, possessing a high luster, and capable of. receiving and retaining a brilliant and-smooth polish. Such jet is eminently suitable for the production of valves for sprinklers. 7 It is, so far as I am aware, absolutely 'non-corrodible and is an exceedingly bad conductor of heat. This latter fact renders it specially applicable, as valves formed therefrom serve to out off and insulate the solder strut, so that heat is not rapidly dissipated or communicated to the extinguishing fluid in the service-pipes and the action of the sprinklers unduly retarded.

A valve formed of jet will not crack or break readily and does not deteriorate by eat- It will stand high pressures and is gradually consumed by excessive heat or a flame of high temperature. The fact that the valve is inflammable and d estructible at an elevated temperature is another striking illustration of the perfect suitability of jet for my purpose. Should the members of the solder strut or supporting device by reason of long inaction or lengthened exposure become so inseparably connected together that they refuse to separate under the influence of heat, then the gradual combustion of the jet valve allows the strut to fall away bodily, and the sprinkler is so rendered operative. By the use of such a valve absolute certainty of action of the sprinkler in case of fire is assured.

I find that jet resists acid fumes, is unaffected by contact with water, is readily worked, and takes and retains a smooth polish.

Jet is a particular substance selected from among many after endless trials and experiment and is so specially selected on account of its perfect suitability and owing to the fact that its use practically overcomes and remedies at once many of the objections urged against the use of valves other than of jet.

It is to be clearly understood that I do not necessarily limit myself to the use of natural jet, as it may be found that a corresponding artificial jet may serve sufiiciently well, so long as such artificial productions contain no admixtures of caoutchouc or rubber, as I consider this objectionable.

Instead of using a jet valve it will be obvious that the valve-seat maybe of jet and the valve of other material, or both valve and valve-seat may be of jet.

I may use a combination of jet valve and flexible diaphragm in a sprinkler, or such a jet valve may be used in conjunction with a solid valve and flip spring or diaphragm, such as is described in my United States patent No. 70%,682, granted July 15, 1902.

I may work the jet in any convenient way, and I may vary the shape or style of the sprinkler, the pith of myinvention, as will be understood, lying in the adapting of this particular mineral, fossil, or substance which is so eminently suitable in the production of the valves of sprinklers.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents asprinkler-head in which the valve is made of jet, parts being shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a detail view with parts in section and in which the valve-seat is made ofjet.

Referring to Fig. 1, the valve a, of jet, is shown closing the Water-outlet orifice b and is held down by a fusible strut c of any ordinaryorsuitableconstruction. Thesprinklerhead is of quite ordinary construct-ion apart from the use of the jet valve.

Fig. 2 indicates the use of a valve-seat of jet. The lower screwed union half a: of this seat might be screwed in in any Way. The valve fitting on said jet seat and closing-orifice may be jet or not, as required.

I declare that what I claim is 1. An automatic fire-extinguisher com prising a valve and its seat, one of said parts being formed of jet, substantially-as described.

2. An automatic fire-extinguisher comprising a valve and its seat with fusible means for holding the valve to its seat, said valve beingformed ofjet,substantiallyas described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO IIOFFMANN.

Witnesses:

RICHARD IBBERSON, ALFRED YATES. 

